Vertical percentage method is a term used in industrial and organizational psychology for scoring biodata in which the percentage of unsuccessful employees responding in a particular way is subtracted from the percentage of successful employees responding in the same way.
The vertical percentage method is a statistical technique used in psychology and other fields to analyze and compare proportions or percentages within a dataset. The method involves dividing each category's frequency or count by the total number of observations, then multiplying by 100 to obtain a percentage. These percentages are then compared vertically within the dataset to determine relative frequencies or proportions.
For example, imagine a psychology study that is investigating the prevalence of different mental health disorders in a population. The dataset might include information on the frequency of each disorder, such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. By applying the vertical percentage method, the researcher can determine the relative proportion of each disorder within the population.
Here is an example of how to apply the vertical percentage method:
- Suppose a survey of 100 individuals found that 30% reported symptoms of depression, 25% reported symptoms of anxiety, and 10% reported symptoms of bipolar disorder.
- To calculate the vertical percentages, divide the frequency of each disorder by the total number of observations (in this case, 100), then multiply by 100 to obtain a percentage:
- Depression: 30 / 100 * 100 = 30%
- Anxiety: 25 / 100 * 100 = 25%
- Bipolar disorder: 10 / 100 * 100 = 10%
- These percentages can then be compared vertically to determine the relative proportions of each disorder within the population.
The vertical percentage method can be useful for identifying patterns and trends within a dataset, as well as for comparing different groups or categories. For example, a researcher might use the method to compare the frequency of different types of crime in different neighborhoods or to compare the prevalence of different health conditions in different age groups.
Similar statistical techniques in psychology include the horizontal percentage method and the chi-square test. The horizontal percentage method involves comparing percentages across different categories within the same dataset, rather than vertically within the same category. This method can be useful for comparing different subgroups or characteristics within a larger group or population.
The chi-square test, on the other hand, is a more complex statistical method used to test for associations or relationships between two categorical variables. The test involves comparing the observed frequencies in a dataset to the expected frequencies based on a null hypothesis, and can be used to determine whether there is a significant relationship between the two variables.
In conclusion, the vertical percentage method is a statistical technique used in psychology and other fields to analyze and compare proportions or percentages within a dataset. By dividing each category's frequency by the total number of observations and multiplying by 100 to obtain a percentage, researchers can compare relative proportions vertically within the same category. Similar techniques include the horizontal percentage method and the chi-square test, which can be used to compare percentages across different categories and to test for associations between categorical variables, respectively.